Combined mail and saddle bag.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904,

I L. N. PRUDHOMME.

COMBINED MAIL AND SADDLE BAG.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG- 8. 1901. RENEWED MAY 6, 1904.

Patented june 7, 190 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

LOUIS NARCISSE PRUDHOMME, OF BERMUDA, LOUISIANA.

COMBINED MAIL AND SADDLEBAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,907, dated J 11 '7, 1904.

Application filed August 8, 1901. Renewed May 6, 1904. Serial No. 206,695. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Beit known that I, LOUIS NARCISSE PRUD- HoMME, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bermuda, in the parish of N atchitoches and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Mail and Saddle Bag, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined mail and saddle bags; and it has for its primary object to provide saddlebags which will not only be adapted to the carrying of mail on horseback from town to town, but which will at the same time be well adapted to the carrying of such mail as may be desired to be distributed along theroute traveled 'by the carrier. With this end in view I provide a saddle-bag provided with two large rear bags for the carrying of mail, &c., from town to town and two front receptacles 'of ready access for the carrying of such mail-matter as may be desired to be distributed along the line traveled.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will thoroughly protect its contents from the weather and be convenient and durable in use.

The invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in theappended claims.

' Referrring to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the bag as spread out and disconnected from the saddle. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a medical case for carrying vials, &c., and designed to fit into one of the receptacles attached to the front portion of the saddle. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line at 5 of Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings. I

1 designates the saddle-blanket, made of leather or canvas or some other suitable and convenient material and comprising parallel strips 2 and"3, connected by a central strip 4:, which latter is formed. at its rear end with a semicircular slit 5 to adapt it to fit over the rear end of the saddle. Upon each side of the strip 2 is secured a box or receptacle, (designated by the numerals 6 and 7.) The box 6 is of rectangular form and provided with a hinged cover 8, formed with slots adapted to fit over a series of staples 9, projecting from the top of the edge of the box and to be secured by a strap or cord 10, secured at one end to the box and passing through the sta ples, the free end being secured by a padlock 11 or other suitable fastening. This box is designed to carry letters, etc. The receptacle 7' is shown as comprising two cylindrical sections closed by a semicircular cover 12, secured by staples 13 and a strap or cord 14. This receptacle is designed to carry rolls of papers, parcels, &c.

To protect the several boxes or receptacles from the weather, I provide curtains 15, secured attheir upper ends to the strip 2 and adapted to be unrolled to cover the receptacles or rolled up, as shown in the drawings.

16 designates openings at the front of the saddle skirt or blanket, through which the horn of the saddle projects, the plurality of such openings adapting the device to saddles of varying size.

17 designates openings for fastening the pieces (Z, which fold inwardlyupon each other,

thus forming two mail bags or pouches 21.

22 designates a central opening ormouth for the bags 21 and closed by means of a lac-, ing 23.

24L designates a plate, to be made of metal or a piece of stiff leather or some other suitable and convenient material and provided with slots 25, adapted to fit over a series of staples 26 and secured by a strap or cord 27 passing through the said staples and having its free ends secured by a padlock 28. In the drawings I have shown a portion of this plate as being broken away in order to show the lacing, &c.

29 designates a roll of oil-cloth, which is designed to be unrolled to cover the bags when it is desired to protect them from the weather.

30 designates a short wide strap sewed at its front end to the saddle-skirt, as at 0, and provided at its rear end with eyeleted holes f and which is adapted to be folded forward and form a loop for securing the rifle, &c., one of the eyeleted holes f to be passed over the horn of the saddle protruding through one of the openings 16 of the saddle-blanket.

As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the rectangular receptacle 6 is provided with a partition 31, which divides this receptacle into two pockets Ur and H, and the medical case 19 is fitted in the front pocket H of the same.

If desired, the lacing 23 of the rear bags and the straps and locks of the front bags may be dispensed with and some other convenient fastening substituted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A saddle-bag, consisting of a saddleblanket comprising parallel strips of material forming its front and rear and connected by a central strip formed with a transverse semicircular slit at its rear and a plurality of openings at its front and designed to lit over the saddle, boxes or receptacles secured to the front strip, a strip of material secured to the under side of the rear strip of the saddleblanket by means of flexible side pieces forming two rear bags, and a centrally-located opening in said rear strip forming the mouth of said rear bags, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a saddle-blanket comprising front and rear parallel strips ol material forming its front and rear and connected by a central strip; of receptacles se- A. 

